U.S. Pat. No. 1,280,276 issued to Robert W. Morse on Oct. 19, 1918 is an early example of a system in which an electric motor, as a prime mover for a pump or an air compressor, was coupled to a hydraulic motor which assisted the electric motor in driving the pump or compressor. The primary function of the hydraulic motor was to permit the electric motor when started up to be aided by a powerful torque provided by the hydraulic motor so that the pump or compressor could be quickly brought up to speed without danger of overloading the electric motor or the power line feeding the electric current to the motor.
The system disclosed by Morse was a large, heavy duty, fixed in place installation typical of the era in which it was invented. The hydraulic motor was operable at a relatively low fluid pressure head dependent on the level of water in a water pressure tank. A complicated device was needed for maintaining the hydraulic system in equilibrium to prevent the electric motor being exposed to a heavy overload if the pressure head in the pressure tank was allowed to fall below a certain level. When this happened, the discharge of water to the hydraulic motor impulse wheel from the pressure nozzle would be substantially cut off and the electric driving motor would be exposed to a heavy overload. Conversely, if the pressure nozzle was caused to discharge water to the impulse wheel at a high velocity when the water in the pressure tank reached a higher level , the load would practically all fall on the hydraulic motor which would be detrimental to the efficient operation of the electric motor.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a substantially portable, compact, fluid pressure driven power system. The power system, independently of an uncertain fluid head in a water tank, is operable at easily regulated high fluid pressures from a positive pressure source with the power output of the system being directly related to the fluid pressures over a wide range.
It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a compact fluid pressure driven power system in which the fluid that is pressurized is oil, the oil being held under pressure in a pressure manifold until selectively released from the manifold through one or more conduits each terminating in a discharge orifice aligned with perimeter fins on a finned rotor. The selective application of pressurized fluid as needed through one or more discharge orifices to the perimeter fins on one or more of a plurality of finned rotors mounted on a common shaft provides a mechanism whereby the power output of the system can be precisely regulated and maintained.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved fluid pressure driven power system, i.e., a hydraulic motor, that can be coupled to the output shaft of an electric motor to assist the motor in driving a belt and pulley system for operating machinery.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an improved fluid pressure driven power system adapted to be the prime mover in a system in which rotatable elements are coupled to and driven directly from the output shaft of the hydraulic power system.
It is yet a further object to of the present invention to provide an improved fluid pressure driven power system that, regardless of the system With which it is used, will increase the efficiency of the system and will cut the power consumption required to operate the system.
These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following disclosure of a preferred embodiment of the invention.